closing arguments. president obama and mitt romney crisscross the country making one last pitch to voters before election day. you hope president obama would live up to his promise to bring people together. to solve big problems. he hasn't. i will. we know what change looks like. and what he's selling ain't it. after sandy, more than a million people are still without power this morning while temperatures drop and a new storm threatens the east coast. animal attack. a tragedy at a pittsburgh zoo when a young boy is mauled to death by a pack of wild dogs. >> the mothers and dads crying carrying their kids and running and it's just crazy. >> this is the "cbs morning news" for monday, november 5, 2012.

good morning. good to be with you. i'm terrell brown. it is the final day of a campaign that has lasted more than a year and after all those speeches, tv ads, door knocking and fundraising, tomorrow's presidential election is so close it will be won or lost in a few swing states. a "usa today" gallup poll of 12 battleground states finds the race to be a dead heat. today president obama and mitt romney are off on an intense final day blitz of those critical states. susan mcginnis is in washington with more. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. this is it. these two candidates have one more day to make their promises attack each other, they got to be tired but looking at them over the weekend they are still going strong. president obama did a little dance in cincinnati where stevie wonder introduced him. also in ohio mitt romney talked

about the president's chances of winning. >> it's possible but not likely. >> reporter: the candidates have been burning up jet fuel crisscrossing the country. on sunday president obama was in new hampshire, florida, ohio and colorado. >> i know a bunch of you already voted. but if you haven't, there's still time. >> reporter: today he'll hit more swing states with ohio, wisconsin and iowa before heading home to chicago. >> after we've been through together, we can't give up now. >> reporter: mitt romney's bonanza included, ohio, indiana, iowa and pennsylvania. today he'll visit florida, ohio, virginia and new hampshire. >> if you're tired of being tired, not just tonight but all the time. >> reporter: both candidates saw huge crowds at their rallies and

both realize at this point it's all about as getting as many people as possible into the election booth. >> that's what will decide this. there's very few if anyone decided voters left. >> reporter: that's a fact these candidates can agree with. >> we're no longer relevant. we're props. >> ultimately it's up to you. you have the power. >> reporter: a power voters will exercise tomorrow. and more than 27 million people have already exercised that. they have voted. terrell, their votes won't be counted until tomorrow. are you among them? >> i did. but i tried to use voting as an excuse to take the day off tuesday. it didn't quite work out. not in this business. susan mcginnis in washington. early voting has been extended in several florida counties. saturday was the last scheduled day of early voting in florida. yesterday a judge extended the early voting hours in one county where polling places were hut down because of a bomb scare. other counties remained open because of heavy turnout.

florida figures to play a key role in the election. hurricane sandy will play a role. hundreds of polling places in the northeast still don't have power. between the power outages, gas shortages and overnight temperatures near freezing life remains miserable for millions of hurricane victims. 107 deaths blamed on the storm. estimated loss in damages on businesses is $50 billion. more than 1.7 million people remain without power. >> reporter: terrell, good morning. here is just one example of the mess sandy left behind. entire walls of this home were ripped apart and the living room is now covered in broken tree branches. but even for those people who have a home to come to the list of problems is daunting. staten island residents huddled around bonfires as overnight temperatures dipped into the 30s.

thousands have no electricity or heat. >> i have two blankets. i try to stay under it and keep warm but not easy. >> reporter: with the mercury dropping and a nor'easter in the forecast this week city officials are scrambling to find shelter for as many as 40,000 people. this woman is trying to make her staten island home livable again. her first floor was flooded drowning her pet birds. she's thankful her family got out. >> got to take it little by little, step by step and try to get the help we need to start rebuilding. >> reporter: perfect strangers are helping with sunday's new york marathon cancelled a group of runners showed up at mary ellen's home. >> wonderful people. digging us out. it's just overwhelming. >> reporter: donation centers are popping up on sidewalks and parking lots throughout staten island to help those who have been left with nothing.

volunteers are giving everything away from clothes to stuffed animals. gas shortages are hampering recovery efforts. stations with gas have lines stretching for blocks. one station is using old-fashioned hand pumps to get gas out of the underground tanks. >> i can feed my family. have hot water. >> reporter: new jersey officials expect the gas shortages to ease this week. and back here on staten island, it's about 40 degrees and terrell for so many people without power it makes for a bitter kind of cold in more ways than one. >> as we just reported, forecasters predict another powerful storm is headed for the northeast later this week. our miami station has details. >> reporter: unfortunately all the computer models are coming together in agreement there will be a powerful nor'easter across the northeast u.s. probably in the middle of the upcoming week.

we can see it taking place on some of the satellites. this water vapor image showing a strong disturbance starting to work its way down through the mid-section of the country. that will help carve out a deep dip in the jet stream and allow a lot of energy and developing system to work its way up the east coast. so this is the way it looks right now. wednesday into thursday strong low pressure skirts the coast. snow inland. wind gusts to 65 miles per hour. coastal flooding and this on top of the damage that already occurred from sandy. not welcome news. cbs moneywatch time now on a monday. construction gets a boost from sandy and storm victims get a break from banks. ashley morrison in new york has more. >> reporter: good morning. sandy is shaping up to be the second costliest storm in history. the price of rebuilding could boost the economy. some economists say we might see a lift of the first month of

2013 as construction workers are hired to rebuild buildings, roads and bridges. increases in construction often leads to a boost in other industries. economists say there could be a bump in auto manufacturing due to the number of cars lost in the storm. some big banks are waiving fees and late charges for residents in states affected by sandy. that includes jpmorgan chase, citigroup, wells fargo, bank of america and pnc. most of those banks are waiving their fees until november 7th. bank of america's waiver period runs through today. investors overseas waited on the sidelines ahead of the u.s. presidential selection. tokyo's nikkei dipped a half of a percent. the hang seng lost half of a percent. wall street ended on a sour note. the dow lost 139 points while the nasdaq was down 37 points. even though gas has been hard to come by in storm stricken areas

prices at the pump are trickling down. the price of a gallon of regular has slipped 21 cents over the last two weeks. the nationwide average is now $3.55. it's the struggle around here to get it, though. >> i was about to say. that's the talk of the town. ashley, good to see you. coming up, the investigation into a child killed by wild dogs at a zoo exhibit after he fell off a railing. this is the morning news. railing. this is the morning news. jack?! looks good ladies! jack! come on, stop the car. jack! no, no, no, no, no! the only thing more surprising than finding the perfect gifts.. niice. ...is where you find them. how did you know? i had a little help. this is how to gift. this is sears.

want longer, stronger lashes? for your longest, most stunning lashes yet. one coat get up and grow mascara. only from almay. only for me. a tragedy in atlanta last night. a police helicopter searching for a 9-year-old boy hit some power lines and crashed killing both officers on board. no one on the ground was hurt but electricity to nearby homes and businesses was knocked out. the wreckage of the chopper has been removed. the ntsb is investigating. the little boy was found a couple of hours after the crash.

>> the pittsburgh zoo is closed this definitely after a little boy was killed by a pack of wild dogs. the 2-year-old fell into the exhibit and no one from the crowd of observers jumped in to help. >> reporter: from what we understand the mother picked the child up, actually in a standing position, lifted him up, put him on the railing, almost immediately after that he lost his balance. >> reporter: in an instant what was supposed to be an afternoon of fun for a 31-year-old mother from pleasant hills and her 2-year-old son turned into an unthinkable tragedy. the toddler fell nearly 11 1/2 feet from the railing straight into the pit where the zoo's african dogs were housed. >> fell down off the railing, into the actual pit and he was immediately attacked by 11 dogs. >> reporter: the boy's mother couldn't react but animal keepers did getting seven dogs away initially then three more but one particularly aggressive dog wouldn't let go.

>> shortly after this incident started, 911 was called. two police officers arrived, city of pittsburgh police officers and they entered the pit exhibit area and shot the dog multiple times. >> reporter: the aggressive dog was killed but not soon enough. the little boy was pronounced dead at the scene. police say the boy's father arrived shortly after that and both parents are now being treated for trauma exposure. police say the investigation into how this tragic accident happened is far from over. police say there are concerns about the safety factors around the exhibit. >> there is. we'll be looking into that. in may some of the dogs escaped the enclosure but only entered part of the exhibit that's usually closed. in that case the zoo was on lock down for about an hour. up next your monday morning weather and frankenfood. california votes on whether to be the first in the nation to

put special labels own genetically modified foods. put special labels own genetically modified foods. new prilosec otc wildberry

is the same frequent heartburn treatment as prilosec otc. now with a fancy coating that gives you a burst of wildberry flavor. now why make a flavored heartburn pill? because this is america. and we don't just make things you want, we make things you didn't even know you wanted. like a spoon fork. spray cheese. and jeans made out of sweatpants. so grab yourself some new prilosec otc wildberry. [ male announcer ] one pill each morning. 24 hours. zero heartburn. satisfaction guaranteed or your money back. here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. clouds and sunny in new york, 46 s degrees. patchy clouds in miami, 82. sun in chicago 47 degrees. mostly sunny in dallas, 76. sunshine in l.a., 92 degrees. let's check your national forecast. chilly in the northeast and warm in the west with temperatures in

some areas 15 degrees above-normal. showers and thunderstorms in the midwest and south. snow in northern areas but no significant accumulation is expected. a big food fight in california over genetically modified food. they have been on the shelves for years. voters in california have a chance to pass an initiative requiring labels for these le altered foods. john blackstone tells us big money has changed a lot of minds. >> reporter: susan is very picky about what she feeds her kids even at snack time. >> i've seen in my life how important a healthy die set. >> reporter: she supports california's proposition 37 which calls for labeling foods containing genetically modified ingredients. or gmos. in the u.s. more than 93% of the soy crop and 88% of corn is genetically engineered. the dna altered to withstand chemical weed killers and in corn to repel insects, pesticide

is engineered directly into the kernels. 61 countries have gmo labeling laws but the u.s. food and drug administration does not require disclosure of genetic engineering techniques calling gmo crops the substantial equivalent of conventional crops. >> this puts things in food that has never been there before. >> fear mongering should not belong on food be labels. >> prop 37, it's deceptive and costly. >> reporter: the campaign funded primarily by biotech, chemical and food industry giants including hershey's which already does label its products overseas. >> the consumers will view that label as a warning when none should exist. the food is the same. it's safe, it's fine to eat. >> reporter: the no campaign claims the measure will cost california up to a million dollars to enforce, generate

lawsuits, and increase family grocery bills by about $8 a week. >> that's why i oppose prop 37. >> reporter: the no campaign has raised $45 million far outspending the yes campaign which has raised only 8 million. >> vote yes. >> reporter: money talks. in california support for prop 37 has dropped steeply from 66% in september to 39%. but many are fighting hard for the right to know. >> i've got to make the decisions about their diets. >> reporter: on election day it will be her vote. john blackstone, cbs news, san francisco. when we come back on a monday from cancer treatment to the gridiron. the colts head coach makes a power speech and his rookie quarterback delivers with a record setting performance. a power speech and his rookie quarterback delivers with a record setting performance. [ female announcer ] introducing u

the latest coffee machine from nespresso. modular. intuitive. combines espresso and fresh milk. the new u. nespresso. what else? available at these fine retailers. quickly extinguish the flam. what was found nearby that s it appear suspicious.

plus: found clinging to an overturned boat. seven people are rescued from toms bay. how two children endedp trapped. and one day away. we're just over 24 hour before the pols open nationwide. the frantic pace for the presidential candidates this morning. join us for cbs 5 eyewitness news this morning... beginng at 4:30. ,,,, here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. washington, partly sunny skies, 50 degrees. sunny in atlanta, 64.

rain in st. louis, 49 degrees. sunshine in denver 66. morning showers in seattle, 60 degrees. in sports this morning the falcons beat dallas to remain the nfl's only unbeaten team. tony romo went for a 21-yard strike. dallas within three. matt ryan finds rogers for an important first down. that leads to a field goal. cowboys with one last shot and come up way short. falcons over dallas 19-13. the bucks doug martin, practically unstoppable against raiders. they busted a line and outruns the secondary. he did it again in the fourth. this time for 70 yards. martin finishes with 250 yards. and four touchdowns. both franchise records. tampa bay trampled oakland.

42-32. >> at rookie had a great game. threw for 433 yards broke cam newton's record. the 23-20 victory was inspired by the colts head coach. he was back at the stadium for the first time since being diagnosed with cancer in september. >> i'm living. see two more daughters get married, dance at their weddings and hoist that lombardi several more times. >> indianapolis just might make it to the playoffs. they are now 5-3. in golf history will be made at the masters. 14-year-old boy from china will be the youngest boy ever to hit the links at augusta national. on sunday that eighth grader won the asia-pacific championship which earned him an invitation to the masters. i'm terrell brown. this is the "cbs morning news." the asia-pacific championship

which earned him an invitation to the masters. i'm terrell brown. this is "cbs morning news." ,,,,,

it goes without saying the outcome of the presidential election is being watched all over the world but more so in china. young people there are drawing inspiration from our political system. bill whittaker sat down with some of the leading voice. >> reporter: these young people crowded into this cafe for a very popular event the last u.s. presidential debate. this cafe is in beijing. millions of young chinese like this university student are engrossed with the american presidential election. >> we just want to know what's happening on the other side of the world. we're now living in the realm of social media. much easier to get information compared to the past. >> reporter: we met with her and two other self-proclaimed political junkies. a student and a journalist. american politics? why? >> american election is open.

>> reporter: unlike chinese politics. two days after the u.s. picks a president china picks new rulers by a communist party process that is secretive. the american process is wide-open and accessible, even here in china on the internet. >> we need to win that future. >> reporter: this 29-year-old english teacher is an internet political pied piper. he downloads and translates american campaign speeches and debates to feed a growing online community of followers. >> they want to look with their own eyes and listen with their own ears and make their own judgment. >> reporter: he got tens of millions of hits during the convention. >> on day one i'll label china a currency manipulator. >> reporter: they don't like that china comes in for so much criticism. >> we'll insist china plays by the same rules as everybody else. >> the u.s. is always running

the fastest in the world and you suddenly find china is behind me and catching up and running faster and faster. >> reporter: they do like americans get to challenge and choose their leaders. >> they can openly question and discuss the political problems. >> people are watching it and it's like a party for the nation. >> do you ever foresee a day when what you're seeing in the u.s. could happen here in china? >> it's going to take time for sure. >> reporter: but this type of conversation couldn't have happened a generation ago, and that these young people call progress. bill whittaker, cbs news, beijing. >> and coming up after your local news on cbs this morning live reports from the campaign trail on the eve of the presidential election. we'll hear from republican ohio governor john kasich. plus an update on the recovery from hurricane sandy

and a report on a forecast about a storm that's about to hit the east coast later this week. that will do it for the morning news this morning. i appreciate you watching. i'm terrell brown in new york. take care, everybody. have a great day.

>> your realtime captioner: linda marie macdonald >> good morning, everyone. i hope you're ready for monday because here it is! boy, it came quick, november 5. >> hi, everybody. i'm frank mallicoat. >> whether we like it or not, right? >> it always rolls around after sunday. >> no kidding. i'm michelle griego. time is 4:30. let's check the weather with lawrence. >> good morning, what a weekend it was weather-wise. lots of sunshine, warm temperatures, t